Governors elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have decried the inability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to make its statutory contributions to the Federation Account, despite the fact that oil was selling at above $110.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the Governors expressed their displeasure at a meeting at the Umuobiakwa country home of the Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu on Wednesday.
The PDP governors in a communiqué signed by 13 of them and read by Chairman of PDP Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, said they would resist any further attempt by NNPC to ascribe unsubstantiated subsidy claims to other tiers of government.
The PDP governors stated: “It is patently unconstitutional for NNPC to determine at its whim and discretion when and what to pay to the Federation Account, as it is a mere trustee of the funds for the three tiers of government: Federal, states and local governments.
‘’We once again, call for investigations and audit of the quantity of consumption of fuel ascribed to Nigerians and for the deployment of technology at filling stations to determine in a transparent manner the volume of consumption.
“NNPC deducts N8.33 billion monthly for the rehabilitation of refineries in Nigeria. To date, no refinery is working.
“Conclusively, we believe that all these leakages in NNPC have been made possible because the President is also the Minister of Petroleum. The urgent separation of these two portfolios has become necessary,” the governors noted.
